


Until I Have You

by lifetimeachievement



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, F/M, Falling in love through an Ouija board, Murder, Revenge, Spicy Ghost Encounters, Supernatural Elements, kinda sorta slow burn, who even needs tinder anymore just date a local ghost
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:47:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23443444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifetimeachievement/pseuds/lifetimeachievement
Summary: Only this time, for the first time in years, she had no need to sleep with the TV on. Rey finally had a dream she remembered that night; one about a man long-dead with dark hair and haunting eyes.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 9





	1. PROLOGUE

A fine sheen had set over the dusky forest, after hours of being battered by rain. It was said that heavy rains wash away the sins of the world, but that the trees would always remember. 

The steady sound of horses trotting along was not an unusual occurrence, merchants and wanderers traveled on the gravel paths to reach the neighboring outpost. Deliveries were often made to the mansion just beyond the woods in OAKS END, the lord there frequently sent out for imported goods and weaponry. OAKS ENDs mansion was tucked behind looming gates and crowded by thorn bushes, protective and concealing. Sins there would not be washed away so easily.

Five riders traversed beneath the glimmering canopies, clad in black cloaks and hoods. The leading man, sat atop a fine horse indeed- finer than those of his four companions. If one was especially observant, they would notice the pristine silver of his cufflinks, the quality leather of his boots. A trained eye could tell just from the way he rode that he was powerful, with nary a need for weapons of the physical. The same could not be said for the four other riders who followed, each with a rifle slung over their backs and a pistol in each holster. Daggers were strapped to their thighs, glinting maliciously. They were not schooled in the ways of cosmic power, but had their own uses nevertheless. 

As the group neared the end of the forest path, the mansion loomed in the distance like a dark idol- Gates locked tightly, as if it anticipated what was to come. The resident lord had never made it publicly known that he was home, he found it prudent to be discreet. Try as he might to remain undetected, an overseen house-boy would readily give up his masters whereabouts for a cheap bribe. Low-level servants were crucial like that. The further you advance your station, the more attention you must pay to those details. 

When the group approached the treeline, the lead rider raised a gloved hand in warning. The small, armed procession halted and waited, peering out at the clearing ahead. The mansion lay atop a large hill, the last stretch of road leading to the gate providing no cover. Easy to spot any incoming visitors, easy to gun them down. It was certain that extra guards would be present tonight, with the master home. The grounds of the home were quite large too. No matter. They would not foresee an attack of this caliber, and would pay dearly for their ignorance. _True_ Magik was more than parlor tricks.

Inhaling, their leader closed his eyes and began to gather the dark energy at his fingertips. The riders could only mutely look on as the haze pooled before them, ever thickening and expanding across the open stretch. This made the horses restless, the poor beasts instinctually feeling the evil before them. They knew little of whether or not it would hurt them, only knowing the innate wrongness. For every inch of darkness gained, the smoky tendrils twisted and ever-reached for the great house at OAKS END, as if they were clawing at the very gates. 

It took little time at all for the entire expanse of road to be sufficiently covered. This was the true power, the true driving force that would command the masses. The horses would not be coaxed into the haze, dumb and frightened. As a result, the small group dismounted, and left them at the treeline to continue up to the gates on foot. The leader proceeded into the thick dark as if there were no haze at all, his followers forced to stick closer than they would have liked to avoid a misstep. It was a slow procession, but time had a cruel way of exaggerating in the heat of the moment. In what felt like an eternity, the blind trek up the hill drew to a close. The men all held their breath as they heard the crackling of the torches at the main gates. 

“Reveal yourselves, demons!” Called one frightened voice of a young man, one of three guards. No doubt both with keen hearing and weapons at the ready. It must have been quite a sight to witness the manifestation of-

“ _You will drop your guns, and open the gates_ ,” The leader smoothly instructed. His voice was thick with the old-powers.

The clunking of guns falling to the gravel was heard only moments before the great gates swung open, like a prized tome spilling its secrets and all the glorious power therein. Now came the fun part, and the quartet made quick work of slitting the guards’ throats before they rallied their senses. Bodies joined their weapons on the ground and torches were extinguished. 

To ensure the privacy of the main event, they swept through the grounds like a plague. They ruthlessly fell upon any and all living beings, using their blades rather than their guns first to make least noise. Guns made things so much easier in everything except stealth missions, but it was good practice to keep one in case of a hasty retreat. It took some level of tact to progress through the grounds, but no alarms were raised. The scent of wet grass still hung heavy in the air, but would soon be replaced by a different odor come sunrise.

It was nearly midnight by the time they finished, leaving the bodies strewn about like dogs. Plenty of time before the Hour, with much more work to be done within the mansion. The men lined up neatly behind their leader at the massive front door. It had been constructed out of the finest of wood, perhaps ebony. Intricately placed iron tendrils lined the entire door, curving inward like vines. No doubt it was personally commissioned from some faraway French architect to be as sturdy as it was elegant.

He knocked three times, and waited. Several minutes passed before a sleepy-eyed maid opened the great door, but all bleariness was swept off her expression when she saw the man's face. She blanched, completely and utterly disbelieving. 

He smiled, ever so faintly. “I come bearing a _gift_ for your lord.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello gang (that's the 2 people reading this, hi) it is me, a fool in quarantine. i had the idea for this fic in the notes of my old phone since 2016 and now i will finally let my crackhead teenager energy be free. this has been the obligatory little setup chapter, see you next update! very soon!


	2. Space and the Woods

**8 : 2 2 A M**

Rey jerked awake to the sound of her phone buzzing on the nightstand, pulling her out of whatever she’d been dreaming of before. She never remembered, anyways. Sleepily, she grabbed the angrily vibrating device to see who the hell was calling so early. The people she tended to keep in contact with were on the same second shift schedule. It was just easier making friends with people on the same page. With a groan she read the caller ID. _Of course it’s Peggy._

Peggy Callahan was her real estate agent, middle aged and a little too much of a morning person and a little too inquisitive. But Peggy was good at her job and popular online with dozens of five-star reviews. Many agents did real estate as a part time job, usually teachers looking to make extra money on the side, but this was Callahan’s career, and it was visible in how well she seemed to do for herself. All things considered, Rey wasn't counting on needing a Realtor at twenty years old. The process needed to be as quick and painless as possible so she could get on with her life.

The phone call she got a couple weeks ago was one of the weirdest surprises Rey ever got. Some suit on a phone saying _your grandfather died, and he left you one of his oldest properties. The state has named me as the executor and we will need your presence in court._

What a horribly long process that was. Awkward court sessions, questions from reporters and journalists who had no idea Rey existed. She barely knew the old man, and he’d left her one of his old mansions, but not any actual money. Rey did well enough for herself at the body shop, and got first dibs on whatever cars came into the junkyard. It could be fairly lucrative at times if you knew what to look for, but more money was always helpful. Eventually the dream was Uni. 

“Hi, Peggy. How... can I help you?” Rey answered, and tried vainly not to sound half asleep.

It felt so unnatural to be inheriting from a man you barely knew. Just a decrepit old guy who would show up one day and smell your hair a little too much, and say too many weird things, until your dad said it was time to go and you wouldn’t see him again in years. When her grandfather died, it made headlines. Rey never even knew he was well known, but apparently he owned most of the land in a great deal of local towns and cities. If the old guy had so much money, why didn’t he help her parents when they were struggling? Why didn’t he offer to take her in after they died? Why not leave her any of his fortune instead of sticking her with a property to sell off?

“Good morning hun! Hope I didn’t wake you!” The voice piercingly chimed from the other end. _Way too loud_. “I’m just calling to confirm our appointment at noon, the property on Oak Drive?”

“Yeah. We’re still on. I’ll be seeing you then, at the end of the driveway I suppose?” It was nowhere near noon. _Why._

Judging by her earliest memories of old grandpa Palpatine, she supposed she was better off not having known him that well. From what Rey remembered, her parents always gave off the sense that they distrusted him, and never spoke of him. Rey idly wondered if that was why he withdrew from her life, then. Giving her an old fixer-upper house was his geezer way of getting back at her parents, maybe? The elderly fought battles differently.

"Wonderful! Yes! I'm _really_ looking forward to personally appraising this house. It's just so old, you know! Don’t forget to bring the court papers on the house, I’ll need all the documentation you have," Peggy had a habit of steamrolling the conversation. “So, see you at noon honey! I look forward to it! Buh-bye!” 

“Bye, Peggy.” Rey managed to get in before the click of the other line. She tossed a glance at her alarm clock, still only eight in the morning. Only just now did she notice that she’d fallen asleep with the TV on again. It was becoming kind of a bad habit, now that she lived alone. There was something that bothered her about sleeping in the silence now, being left alone to her thoughts. It was starting to keep her up at night, so; Enter Netflix. Her friends’ words popped into her head, _something something band-aid fixes._

Dropping her head back to her pillow, she decided to try and catch another hour or two of sleep before facing her responsibility as a first time home-owner.

* * *

**1 1 : 4 5 AM**

She made it to the old house with no trouble, but the hour long drive was nerve-wracking. The girl typically enjoyed driving her faithful little Civic, and even could be found doing some spirited driving with friends at all hours of the night. But the circumstances of this drive left her uneasy. Rey wasn’t one to shy away from responsibility, but this was a big responsibility. The idea of the house was unnerving, and the photos she’d seen of it weren’t flattering either, like the camera-man didn’t even bother to try to find any good angles.

The house also represented her grandfather in a way, too, she supposed. Old, decrepit, and completely unknown. All those thoughts swarmed her head as she neared the end of the road.

“ _Your destination is on the right._ ” Announced the GPS in her phone.

“Your destination is on the right,” Rey mimicked half-heartedly, feeling a small sting of resentment for how polite the voice was over such a crazy circumstance. _Thanks Google, thanks Obama, thanks universe._

The start of the driveway was only indicated by an old wooden mailbox, marked with the house number along the side in faded white paint. When she turned in, it finally dawned on her just how big the estate was. The property was primarily moorland, with a paved driveway snaking its way up the hills to the large mansion at the peak of the moor. While old, the driveway clearly hadn’t been traveled on much. She supposed the building itself hadn’t been used in years either, all the shutters in the windows were crooked or had large gaps.

Most old houses were daunting enough on their own, but this one seemed like it had been specifically built to be intimidating. Rey had idly listened to the general report of the estate but was unprepared for the three-story mass of grey brick and rock that it was. From what she could see at the end of the driveway, each window had its own intricate stone archway, with one massive arch lining the black french doors that made up the front. It had a roofed porch, supported by broad stone pillars. The roof was lined with black tiles, some of them missing, and a few thick chimneys protruded throughout the house. Stone walls lined the outside, but left a large gap in the middle where the driveway snaked through.

It had a familiar silhouette, like that of the ones you would see on a Goosebumps cover as a kid. Ever reaching upward, growing bigger the longer one looked at it. The empty flagpoles on the roof looked an awful lot more like spikes than Rey thought necessary, and she turned her attention to her phone instead, breaking the evocative house's spell. Just as she looked, the sound of an obnoxiously oversized SUV from behind startled her. 

Peggy Callahan’s white Range Rover politely stopped a few feet away from her rear bumper, filling up the rear view mirror of the Civic. The SUV was much too big for Peggy, and she looked ridiculous hopping out of it. The woman could not have been more than 5’2”, wearing a sleek pantsuit and black kitten heels. Short auburn waves of hair framed her tanned face, which was sharp but not severe. Her eyes were concealed by large, expensive looking sunglasses.

“Hi, hun! I’m glad you didn’t get lost on the way here,” Called the short realtor, quickly approaching her open driver’s side window with little _clicks_ of her heels. “Sometimes even a GPS can get mixed up with these old roads, they don’t always update the signs, ya'know.” 

“I’m glad too,” Rey said, quickly grabbing the folder on her passenger seat and handing it to Peggy. She dispelled the notion of getting lost in these woods, it was better to not think about it. “I don’t usually travel so far from my city.”

“Nothing I’m not used to!” Beamed Peggy, tucking the folder under her arm. “When you’re in this line of business, you see all kinds of houses and lots. I even got stuck in a swamp once, had to wait two hours for a tow truck!” She cheerily jerked a thumb towards the Range Rover, which looked like it had never left a road. “That’s when I traded in the sad lil thing I had for a _real_ car.” 

Rey felt a small surge of protectiveness for her modest hatchback, and gripped the steering wheel. “I can imagine.”

“If only you could! My life is so crazy sometimes!” Peggy started back towards her Rover, as if she sensed the shift. “But we should put a pin in this and go up and see that big ol house!” 

“I’ll meet you at the top, then.” Agreed Rey, sighing when the exhausting little woman climbed back into her snowy behemoth of a vehicle. 

The two slowly made their way up the pavement, the road so steep that at times she had to shift into first gear for enough torque. As the house grew closer, Rey started to appreciate the aesthetic of it. While still creepy, it still held onto an air of importance, clinging to prominence despite its age. She rolled past the walls that surrounded the mansion, which had fallen in disrepair. In the edges of the crumbling stone, Rey could pick out what must’ve used to have been hinges for gates. 

She parked the civic next to the front steps, the Rover right behind again. It was one of those driveways that formed a large ring in front of the house, like they were anticipating a lot of visitors. If there had been flowers growing in the middle of the circle, it would’ve been quite beautiful. Maybe the next owners would liven up the place and restore it, and make it into something happy. 

Rey hopped out of the car, fishing out the keys to the front door from her satchel. They were the old-fashioned over-sized keys, much too heavy to put on her key ring. Peggy was already leafing through the papers in the folder as she walked.

“Oh wow, it says here the house was renovated in the seventies! We’ll get to see some _interesting_ style choices.” The realtor joked, removing her sunglasses. 

“I’m not exactly well-versed on interior design,” Rey admitted, walking up the stairs and ever so much closer to the looming french doors. “I don’t really know what’s considered good or not.”

“Trust me hun,” Peggy cocked a brow. “You’ll know the seventies when you see it. But! I’m so glad it wasn’t renovated earlier, it might be kinda livable!” 

_That’s true_ , Rey thought. There were power lines, at least. Even if they were old ones, the house definitely had electricity and running water. She remembered that much from skimming the report. Despite that, there was no intention to live in the house. Being a homeowner was a huge responsibility, and got very expensive, very fast. Not to mention how far it was from everything she knew, the commute would be killer. Money ended up being the deciding factor, who would turn down selling such a huge house? The process could take awhile, but she’d come out of it with a lot more money than she had before. _Thank you, dead grandpa_.

With a deep breath, she slid the key into the huge lock and turned. The lock groaned with the effort of moving, as if it were refusing to allow them entry. Any normal girl would’ve strained to fully turn it, but Rey considered herself in very good shape. A person doesn’t work in an auto repair shop and not have any muscle, after all. 

Finally, it clicked, and Rey slowly opened one of the doors. Sunlight streaked across the entryway and revealed a hardwood floor that was coated in dust. Peggy gasped behind her, and Rey looked up. 

The sunlight stretched as far as the wall at the end of the main foyer, revealing a massive fireplace. The mantle was littered with items she could not identify, possibly weapons. But what was so startling was what hung above the mantle; a massive painting of an elderly figure in a dark cloak, seemingly staring right back into her own eyes. His sunken-in eyes were painted so piercingly, they looked real for a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> big big thank you to everyone who commented and/or left kudos on the prologue! and thank you, dead grandpa! :D


End file.
